The present invention relates generally to the field of engines. More specifically the present invention relates to systems for controlling the speed of engines.
An engine governor is used to help regulate engine speed, which is typically quantified in terms of the revolutions per minute (rpm) of the engine output shaft (e.g., crankshaft). The governor systems operate in one of three configurations: the governor is pneumatically controlled by the air cooling system of the engine, the governor is mechanically controlled by the crankshaft, or the governor senses a rate of electrical pulses of an ignition system of the engine. In each configuration, the engine speed is communicated to a portion of the engine that regulates fuel usage (e.g., throttle assembly), where if the engine is running too slow, fuel flow through the engine is increased, increasing the engine speed—and vice versa.
Typical engine governors experience a phenomenon called “droop,” where a decrease in the engine speed occurs with an increase in loading of the engine. As a result of droop, an engine that is running without load operates at a higher speed than a fully loaded engine. By way of example, such a difference in engine speed may range from about 250 to 500 rpm between an unloaded and fully loaded engine. For example, the engine for a pressure washer may run at about 3750 rpm with no load, and at about 3400 rpm at full load.